Keep Legal Fees Under Control

Budgets may be tighter than in years past, but skimping on legal services may end up costing a lot more than your attorney’s hourly rate. In fact, it can make the thought of hiring a “cheap” lawyer seem as appealing as going to a “cheap” dentist. However, there are several ways that you can save money on legal fees without compromising on quality.

1. DO THE LEG WORK BEFORE HIRING ANYBODY. 
Hire an attorney only after obtaining positive references and having an in-person meeting. Through your questions, you should satisfy yourself that the professional has achieved results for other clients that are similar to the outcomes you are hoping to achieve. Also, be sure to hire a professional with good listening skills—ask yourself, “Did he or she do most of the talking during the first meeting?”

2. ASK ABOUT FEES UP FRONT - THE MORE SPECIFICS THE ATTORNEY CAN PROVIDE IN RESPONSE, THE BETTER.
Hire a firm that will either work on a per-project or fixed-fee basis. If the attorney works on an hourly basis, he or she should provide you with a detailed, projected budget. Make sure you have a good understanding of how many hours your project may take, and all the potential setbacks that may tack on additional, billable hours.

3. HELP YOUR ATTORNEY KEEP COSTS DOWN BY HAVING YOUR EMPLOYEES DO AS MUCH SUPPORTING WORK AS POSSIBLE IN-HOUSE. 
For example, your non-attorney employees can help your outside attorney by sending organized files of contracts and correspondence that are obviously relevant to a business dispute.
If you send a box of unorganized, random documentation to your law firm, you should not be surprised when the law firm charges you for the considerable time it takes to make sense of it all. Similarly, your employees can help your outside accountant by filling out basic IRS paperwork, and sending out the required documentation to vendors and customers.

4. DO NOT WAIT FOR SMALL PROBLEMS TO BECOME BIG ONES. 
Just as an inspection from the fire marshal is better than a visit from a team of firemen, a consultation with an employment lawyer before a firing may save you from an employment discrimination claim. Focus on hiring professionals for “preventative” projects, and do not be afraid to pay for them.
For example, if you are thinking of offering a product that is similar to a competitor’s product, a visit to an attorney with intellectual property expertise can ensure that you move forward with an awareness of the patent or trademark issues that may be implicated by the product launch.

5. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO QUESTION A BILL. 
You want to make sure you are not paying for any mistakes that do not fall within the scope of your retention of the attorney. You should not be paying for a professional’s time spent fixing a mistake he or she made.